Wednesday, August 19, 2009

(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - August 19, 2009: Beijing police will step up their anti-terror efforts ahead of the 60th anniversary on October 1 of the founding of communist China, with more street patrols and checkpoints, state media said Wednesday.
The massive police mobilisation will likely surpass the security clampdown seen for last year's Olympic Games in the capital, the China Daily reported.
The report said the new security measures were also prompted by last month's unrest in China's far western Xinjiang region, which the government said was orchestrated by Muslim Uighur separatists and left nearly 200 people dead.
"Security is currently our top priority," the paper quoted Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu as saying earlier this week.
We must "guard against and relentlessly crack down on sabotage activities carried out by hostile forces from both home and abroad... attempts of violence and terrorism must be foiled before they are turned into real action."
Terrorism expert Li Wei told the paper: "The authorities have put terrorist attempts and violence from enemy forces, including extremists, separatists and terrorists, as the biggest threats against National Day activities."
Police will target residents from ethnic groups and expatriates who have only resided in the capital for a short time, the China Daily said.
Security forces have been engaged in a two-month-long anti-terrorism campaign aimed at maintaining social stability ahead of the sensitive anniversary, it added.
The official Xinhua news agency reported last week that police had confiscated 19,000 guns and 500 tonnes of explosives in a pre-October 1 crackdown on illegal firearms. More than 5,200 suspects have been arrested.
On October 1, 1949, communist revolutionary leader Mao Zedong declared the establishment of the People's Republic of China from Beijing's Tiananmen Square, following a victory over Nationalist forces who fled to Taiwan.

DTN News: Indonesia Probes Saudi Cash Link To Hotels Attack*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) JAKARTA, Indonesia - August 19, 2009: A man believed to be from Saudi Arabia has been arrested on suspicion of smuggling money used to finance last month's deadly Jakarta hotel attacks, Indonesian police said Wednesday. Indonesian National Police spokesman Maj. Gen. Nanan Sukarna, right, and his deputy Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Ishak, left, hold wanted posters of four militants, from left to right, Ario Sudarso, Mohamad Syahrir, Bagus Budi Pranoto and Syaifudin Jaelani who are suspected to be involved in recent J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotel bombings during a press conference at the National Police headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009.
Police spokesman Nanan Soekarna said the man, identified only as Ali, had been arrested recently as part of the investigation into who funded the July 17 attacks on the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels that killed nine people.
Another man identified only as Iwan also had been detained for questioning over his suspected links to the network of Malaysian Islamist extremist Noordin Mohammed Top, the alleged mastermind of the attack.
"Ali and Iwan are still being questioned by our team to prove their links with another country and with the financing," Soekarna told reporters.
"Ali is believed to be a Saudi Arabian national."
Analysts have said that if the funding for the attacks came from abroad, a likely source would be Al-Qaeda. But police have not confirmed any connection between the hotel blasts and Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's organisation.
Al-Qaeda has allegedly financed previous suicide attacks in Indonesia including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, and Noordin's first major operation, a 2003 truck bombing of the Jakarta Marriott that killed 12.
Noordin, 41, leads a splinter group of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network, which aims to create a regional Islamic caliphate.
He is Indonesia's most-wanted man and is blamed for a series of attacks against Westerners in the mainly Muslim country that have killed around 50 people and wounded hundreds.
DNA tests showed that a suspect killed in an August 8 raid on a militant hideout was not Noordin as initially reported, police said last week.

DTN News: Indian Air Force Kicks Off Fighter Jet Trials
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - August 19, 2009: Indian Air Force on Monday Aug 17., began the trials of fighter jets being hawked by the world's six top aerospace giants vying for a US$12 billion (S$17.4 billion) military contract, officials said. Military air traffic controllers said Boeing kicked off the trials with a display of its F-18 'Superhornet' jets in Bangalore, hub of India's aeronautical and space industry.
The sale of 126 combat planes to the technology-starved Indian Air Force will be the world's most lucrative fighter jet contract in more than a decade.
Military air traffic controllers said Boeing kicked off the trials with a display of its F-18 'Superhornet' jets in Bangalore, hub of India's aeronautical and space industry.
'Two F-18s carried out two sorties of 45 minutes each,' a controller said as military aviation experts watched the exercise.
The assessment is due to continue for almost a year before New Delhi makes its choice from the six companies, defence ministry officials in New Delhi said.
Lockheed Martin of the US and Europe's EADS will be among the other five firms descending on Bangalore.
India is on a spending spree to update its largely Soviet-era weapons system.
After Boeing, Lockheed Martin is next in line to showcase its F-16 to the technology-hungry Indian Air Force, the officials said.
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) will offer its Typhoon Eurofighter, while Russia is seeking to sell the MiG-35 and MiG-29. French Dassault, which constructs the Mirage, has put forward its Rafale aircraft as a contender. The line-up is completed by Gripen, part of Sweden's Saab.
Industry sources have said Lockheed Martin and Boeing have emerged as frontrunners. Contract stipulations prevent the contending firms from unveiling any detail of the contract, which includes the outright purchase of 18 fighter jets by 2012 and another 108 to be built in India. India also has an option to buy 64 more jets.

DTN News: Three Militants Killed In Russia's Dagestan
*Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti
(NSI News Source Info) MAKHACHKALA, Dagestan (Russia) - August 19, 2009: Three militants were killed in a shootout with police in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Dagestan early on Wednesday, a police spokesman told RIA Novosti.
"Police were involved in a shootout with militants in the Kaytagsky District," the spokesman said. "Their identities have yet to be established."
Russia's North Caucasus has seen a rise in militant violence of late, with frequent attacks on federal troops, police and other officials.
Last week, 11 people were killed when militants attacked a police post and a health center in Dagestan. On Monday, a suicide bomber killed over 20 police officers in neighboring Ingushetia.
Both republics neighbor Chechnya, the scene of two brutal separatist wars in the 1990s and the early 2000s.

Makhachkala port and capital of Dagestan republic, southwestern Russia. The city is situated along the western shore of the Caspian Sea, at the northern end of a narrow coastal plain. Founded as the Petrovskoye fortress in 1844, it became Petrovsk Port in 1857 and was renamed in 1921 after the Dagestani revolutionary Makhach.

Present-day Makhachkala is a seaport linking the North Caucasus, Transcaucasus, and southern Ukraine with the western regions of Kazakhstan. It also serves as the terminal of an oil pipeline from Grozny.

Its industries include machine building and chemical and textile manufacturing. Makhachkala has a branch of the Academy of Sciences, a university, and medical, agricultural, and teacher-training institutes. Pop. (2006 est.) 466,331.

(NSI News Source Info) JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - August 19, 2009: The South African Infantry Corps (SAIC) is the single largest professional group within the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), with some suggesting that as many as one in three SANDF Regular Force personnel are members of this corps.
The infantry is the oldest of the branches and can be said to date back to that time and place in prehistory where the first group of people took up stick, stone and spear to defend against or attack their enemy, to seize land or defend their own.
Author James F Dunnigan points out that the infantry, by definition, takes the brunt of the fighting. “It’s always been that way … and this won’t change.”
Despite this, and the presence of infantry in South Africa from the earliest times, the infantry only gained a permanent home in the SAIC as recently as January 1954. Prior to that responsibility for the branch was passed from pillar to post.
A SA Army recruitment poster notes that the infantry is the nucleus of any army and as a result it is the largest fighting corps in the SA Army. “The infantry is expected to attack the enemy under any conditions; this requires courage, fitness and initiative. In order to attack the enemy with confidence, weapon training and field craft is the most important part of training.”
· Mission: To close with, and destroy the enemy; to hold or defend ground.
· Corps colours: Green and black
· Beret colour: Green (motorised, mechanised and light infantry); maroon (parachute infantry)
· Collar badge: Springbok head
· Motto: Gladium Practamus (Wielders of the Sword)
· Brief history in SA: Despite the presence of infantry in South Africa from the earliest times, the infantry gained a permanent home in the SAIC only as recently as January 1954. Prior to that responsibility for the branch was passed from pillar to post.
Structure
All infantry units are assigned to the SA Army Infantry Formation under the charge of Major General Themba Nkabinde.
Nkabinde answers directly to SA Army chief Lt Gen Solly Shoke. Assisting Nkabinde as General Officer Commanding the SA Army Infantry Formation is a
· Chief of Staff
· Chaplain
· Formation Warrant Officer
· Personal Staff
Nkabinde has been GOC since 2004. The current chief of staff is Brigadier General Krubert Nel.
The formation is structured as follows:
*SA Army Infantry School, Oudtshoorn**Senior Staff Officer (SSO) Specialised Infantry**Parachute Infantry*44 Parachute Regiment (Regt), Bloemfontein
*1 Parachute (Para) Battalion (Bn), Bloemfontein
*3 Para Bn, Pretoria
*44 Pathfinder Platoon, Bloemfontein
*101 Air Supply Unit, Pretoria/Bloemfontein
*Training Wing, Bloemfontein
**Air Assault*6 South African Infantry (SAI) Bn (Air Assault), Grahamstown
*1st City Regiment (Air Assault), Grahamstown
*Prince Alfred’s Guard (Air Assault), Port Elizabeth**Seaborne*9 SAI Bn (Seaborne), Cape Town
*Internal Stability
*21 SAI Bn (Internal Stability), Johannesburg
*Rand Light Infantry, Johannesburg
*Regt Oos Rand, Germiston
*Regt Paul Kruger, Krugersdorp**SSO Mechanised Infantry
*1 SAI Bn, Bloemfontein
*8 SAI Bn, Upington
*1st Bn, Regt de la Rey, Potchefstroom
*1st Bn, Regt Northern Transvaal, Pretoria
*Cape Town Highlanders, Cape Town
*Durban Light Infantry, Durban
*Regt Westelike Provincie, Cape Town
*Witwatersrand Rifles, Johannesburg**SSO Motorised Infantry North*2 SAI Bn, Zeerust
*7 SAI Bn, Phalaborwa
*15 SAI Bn, Thohoyandou (Limpopo)
*10 SAI Bn, Mafikeng
*Regt Botha, Barberton
*Regt Christiaan Beyers, Polokwane
*The Johannesburg Regt, Johannesburg
*The SA Irish, Johannesburg
*The Transvaal Scottish, Johannesburg
*Tshwane Regt, Pretoria**SSO Motorised Infantry South
*4 SAI Bn, Middelburg (Mpumalanga)
*5 SAI Bn, Ladysmith
*14 SAI Bn, Mthatha (Eastern Cape)
*121 SAI Bn, Mtubatuba (KwaZulu-Natal)
*Buffalo Volunteer Rifles, East London
*Cape Town Rifles (Duke’s), Cape Town
*Durban Regt, Durban
*Kimberley Regt, Kimberley
*Natal Carbineers, Pietermaritzburg
*Regt Bloemspruit, Bloemfontein
*Regt Piet Retief, Port Elizabeth

The council cleared the Low-level Quick Reaction surface to air Missile for the army from Israeli Aircraft Industries and Rafael.

This missile will help to protect India's tanks and armoured vehicles against enemy air attack. The Spyder is a low-level quick-reaction surface-to-air missile system capable of engaging aircraft, helicopters, unmanned air vehicles, drones and precision-guided munitions.

The Spyder system has 360 degree engagement capability and the missiles can be launched from full-readiness state in less than five seconds after a target is acquired.

The Spyder's kill range is from less than 1km to more than 35 km and at altitudes from a minimum of 20 metres to a maximum of 9 kilometres. The system is capable of firing at multiple targets and can be operated in all weather conditions.

*Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin
(NSI News Source Info) NEWTOWN, Pa., - August 19, 2009: The JCSAT-12 communications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (SKY Perfect JSAT) of Japan, is ready for its scheduled launch on Aug. 21 aboard an Ariane 5-ECA launch vehicle provided by Arianespace. The launch window opens at 6:09 p.m. EDT and closes at 7:09 p.m. EDT.
JCSAT-12 is a high-power hybrid satellite consisting of 30 active Ku-band transponders and 12 active C-band transponders that will provide broadcast and broadband services to Japan, the Asia-Pacific region and Hawaii. JCSAT-12 is designed for a minimum service life of 15 years and will serve as a back up satellite for other SKY Perfect satellites following its scheduled launch.
JCSAT-12 marks the 38th A2100 spacecraft designed and built by Lockheed Martin and the fifth delivered to SKY Perfect JSAT. Lockheed Martin delivered JCSAT-9 through JCSAT-11 and N-SAT-110 and is currently manufacturing JCSAT-110R, which is scheduled to launch in 2011, and JCSAT-13, which is scheduled to be delivered in 2011 with a launch date to be announced at a later time.
The Lockheed Martin A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft series is designed to meet a wide variety of telecommunications needs including Ka-band broadband and broadcast services, fixed satellite services in C-band and Ku-band, high-power direct broadcast services using the Ku-band frequency spectrum and mobile satellite services using UHF, L-band, and S-band payloads. The A2100's modular design features a reduction in parts, simplified construction, increased on-orbit reliability and reduced weight and cost.
The A2100 spacecraft’s design accommodates a large range of communication payloads. This design modularity also enables the A2100 spacecraft to be configured for missions other than communication. The A2100 design has been adapted for geostationary earth orbit (GEO)-based earth observing missions and is the baselined platform for Lockheed Martin’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R (GOES-R). In addition, the A2100 serves as the platform for critical government communications programs including the Advanced Extremely High Frequency and Mobile User Objective System. The A2100 also serves as the spacecraft platform for Lockheed Martin’s GPS III program.
About SKY Perfect JSATSKY Perfect JSAT Corporation is a leader in the converging fields of broadcasting and communications. It is Asia’s largest satellite operator with a fleet of 12 satellites, and Japan’s only provider of both multi-channel pay TV broadcasting and satellite communications services. With 3.7 million subscribers, SKY Perfect JSAT delivers a broad range of entertainment through its SKY PerfecTV!, SKY PerfecTV! e2 and SKY PerfecTV! HIKARI platforms, the most extensive in Japan. In addition, through satellite communications service coverage that extends across Japan and the rest of Asia, Oceania, Hawaii and North America, the Company supports safety, security and convenience for society.
About Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems is a unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, designs and develops, tests, manufactures and operates a full spectrum of advanced-technology systems for national security and military, civil government and commercial customers. Chief products include human space flight systems; a full range of remote sensing, navigation, meteorological and communications satellites and instruments; space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft; laser radar; ballistic missiles; missile defense systems; and nanotechnology research and development.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

(NSI News Source Info) BLAGNAC, France - August 19, 2009: Turkish Airlines has signed a contract for the purchase of seven Airbus A330-300 aircraft, firming up a Memorandum of Understanding signed during Le Bourget Airshow in June 2009.

The aircraft, due for delivery from September 2010, will be powered by Rolls Royce engines. Carrying 289 passengers in a two-class configuration, the A330s will be operated on high capacity medium haul routes.

Turkish Airlines has operated Airbus aircraft since 1985, and currently has a fleet of 67 Airbus aircraft, including five A310s, 46 A320 family aircraft, seven A330s and nine A340s. This is the first time the airline has ordered the A330-300.

“Our in-service experience with the Airbus A330 has demonstrated the low operating costs and high level of cabin comfort that this aircraft offers,” said Dr Candan Karlitekin, Chairman of Turkish Airlines.

“This made it the logical choice for a repeat order to allow us to efficiently achieve our targeted growth.”

“We are delighted that Turkish Airlines has chosen to expand their fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft, the most cost-effective aircraft in its class,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers.

“We have a long history of partnership with Turkish Airlines and are looking forward further supporting their expansion plans.”

Airbus aircraft share a unique cockpit and operational commonality, allowing airlines to use the same pool of pilots, cabin crews and maintenance engineers, bringing operational flexibility and resulting in significant cost savings.

With a true wide-body fuselage allowing very high comfort standards, the A330-300 is able to accommodate seat and class configurations to suit the diverse customer requirements.

It has a range of up to 5,650 nm / 10,500 km with a full passenger load. Highly efficient and optimized for the medium – to extended range market, the A330-300 offers the best balance between range and cost.

The A330-300 remains the most economic means of flying 300 or so passengers on medium range routes in true long haul comfort.

The twin engine A330 is one of the most widely used widebody aircraft in service today. Airbus has won more than 1,000 orders for the aircraft and more than 600 A330s are in operation worldwide with 79 operators. The combined fleet has achieved almost 14 million flight hours and serves around 300 destinations worldwide.

(NSI News Source Info) VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., - August 19, 2009: The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], working with industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), has completed construction of a second interceptor test silo for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], working with industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, has completed construction of a second interceptor test silo for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system at Vandenberg Air Force Base. In this photo, Boeing's GMD team installs the silo at the base. This new silo can be configured to support testing or tactical operations.

The new underground silo provides additional test capability for the United States’ only defense against long-range ballistic missile threats.
"Having this second test silo to launch interceptors will allow us to test upgrades to the GMD system more quickly, improving the MDA's ability to stay ahead of evolving threats," said Norm Tew, Boeing vice president and GMD program director. "We are proud to deliver this additional capability for America's defense."
Because a silo needs to be refurbished after its hot-burning interceptor is fired, having two test silos will allow one to support testing while the other is being refurbished. The new silo also has the unique ability to be configured for testing or tactical operations, providing even greater flexibility.
Vandenberg's first test silo has been used in tests since 2006 and will continue to support future flight test operations.
The Huntsville, Ala.-based GMD program has deployed more than 20 operational interceptors at Vandenberg and at Fort Greely, Alaska, to defend the United States against long-range ballistic missile threats. An integral element of the global ballistic missile defense system, GMD also consists of radars, other sensors, command-and-control facilities, communications terminals and a 20,000-mile fiber optic communications network.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

(NSI News Source Info) OSHKOSH, Wis. - August 19, 2009: Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), will showcase the latest in autonomous vehicle advancements and other next-generation vehicle technologies at the National Defense Industrial Association’s (NDIA) Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS) 2009, Aug. 18-20 in Detroit.
The company will showcase an Oshkosh demonstration vehicle with autonomous vehicle technologies. The vehicle also features other next-generation Oshkosh technologies, including the proven TAK-4® independent suspension system, ProPulse® hybrid-electric drive and Command Zone™ multiplexed electronics system.
“We take pride in the work being accomplished at the Oshkosh Global Technology Center to help today’s Armed Forces better achieve success, while also shaping the fleets of tomorrow,” said Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense. “Our TAK-4 system, on both legacy MRAPs and the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), is proving vital in giving soldiers and Marines the off-road mobility they need in Afghanistan. The autonomous vehicle technology Oshkosh continues to advance and evolve could help take our men and women out of harm’s way and expand the capabilities of the military’s tactical wheeled vehicles.” Oshkosh Defense is an industry leader in the development of autonomous vehicle technology. The company has a history of teaming with technology experts to continue breaking new ground, including working with the National Robotics Engineering Center of the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University to incorporate a Perception Capabilities Demonstrator. This technology improves the occupants' situational awareness by fusing scanning laser ranging technology with electro-optical vision to create an immersive 3D display of their surroundings referenced to geospatial aerial imagery. In the scenario where the vehicle is traversing a previously driven route, the system is able to render imagery from both the previous and current traverse in real-time allowing a human operator to analyze the scene for changes and quickly identify potential threats such as IEDs. Future development will focus on improved localization for autonomous operations in varied environments, including areas with poor GPS coverage.
The TAK-4 independent suspension system is featured on the M-ATV and more than 10,000 Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements (MTVR) supplied to the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy Seabees. The system provides superior off-road mobility for medium and heavy vehicles operating on unimproved roads and challenging cross-country terrain, and it is being retrofitted on more than 2,000 legacy MRAPs in Afghanistan for improved mobility. TAK-4 also is featured on the Marine Corps’ Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) and the Army’s next-generation Palletized Load System (PLS A1).
The ProPulse diesel- and hybrid-electric drive system results in a smaller logistics footprint, fuel-efficiency improvements of as much as 20 percent over conventional power trains and exportable power capabilities. The computer-controlled Command Zone system, featured on the LVSR, provides in-cab diagnostics of all major vehicle systems, including the engine, transmission and braking. Its remote-diagnostics capabilities allow technicians to monitor vehicle diagnostics long distance.
About Oshkosh Defense

Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is an industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical military trucks and armored wheeled vehicles, delivering a full product line of conventional and hybrid vehicles, advanced armor options, proprietary suspensions and vehicles with payloads that can exceed 70 tons. Oshkosh Defense provides a global service and supply network including full life-cycle support and remanufacturing, and its vehicles are recognized the world over for superior performance, reliability and protection. For more information, visit www.oshkoshdefense.com
About Oshkosh Corporation

Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corp. manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Medtec®, Jerr-Dan®, BAI™, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, SMIT™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®. Oshkosh products are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount. For more information, log on to www.oshkoshcorporation.com

DTN News: General Dynamics Is Awarded $42 Million For Submarine Maintenance And Modernization Work

*Source: DTN News / General Dynamics

(NSI News Source Info) GROTON, Conn. - August 19, 2009: The U.S Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $42.1 million contract to plan and perform routine maintenance and modernization work on USS Springfield (SSN-761), a Los Angeles-class attack submarine. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

Under the contract, Electric Boat will plan for and perform a Dry-docking Selected Restricted Availability, which consists of engineering, procurement, repairs, maintenance, modernization and testing.

The work will take place at Electric Boat’s shipyard in Groton; it is expected to be completed by February 2010.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 92,000 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies.

DTN News: Consolidation Of Military Medical Facilities And Training Center In San Antonio, Texas To Receive Support From Lockheed Martin*Contract with Army Medical Command Valued at $193 Million*Source: DTN News / Lockheed Martin
(NSI News Source Info) Laurel, Md., - August 19, 2009: The Department of Defense consolidation of military medical facilities will receive logistics support from Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] under a new contract with the U.S. Army Medical Command. The total value of the contract is $193 million over a two year period of performance.
Lockheed Martin will assist with the relocation of basic and specialty enlisted training from the Air Force 882nd Training Group, the Naval Schools of Health Sciences, and the Naval Hospital Corps School to Fort Sam Houston, Texas. These units are being consolidated with the current Army Medical Department Center and School, which is already based at Fort Sam Houston.
In addition Wilford Hall Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center are being combined into the new San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC). These actions are part of a Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) effort to improve the overall level of medical services for service members in the field and wounded warriors returning home.
“Lockheed Martin is honored to be supporting health services for the Department of Defense” said Carey Smith, Vice President of Lockheed Martin Technical Services, “We know our logistics expertise will help provide a smooth transition for these important units to Fort Sam Houston and ensure that our servicemen and women continue to receive the highest quality medical treatment that they deserve. We are proud to have been chosen by the U.S. Army Medical Command for this important work.”
As the consolidation moves forward, Lockheed Martin will perform a number of important tasks including identifying new equipment needs and developing a purchasing plan for both medical and non-medical equipment and furnishings. Lockheed Martin will also manage the purchase of new items and the relocation and warehousing of existing units. An additional element of the contract will include the installation and calibration of new equipment as well as the coordination of training in its use.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 146,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.